New, old sounds with Tone
He led the Slovenian men’s team to Silver at the EHF EURO 2004, he coached the women’s national team, was coach of RK Celje in the VELUX EHF Champions League, now Tone Tiselj (50) returns to where everything began.
Return of the old success coach
Exactly ten years ago Tone Tiselj could celebrate RK Krim’s first ever title in the EHF Women’s Champions League. The second one followed two years later.
Now the coach of former successes has returned to the club from the Slovenian capital Ljubljana to continue the story.
Serial champions
Since 1995 Krim won every Slovenian championship and are part of the EHF Women’s Champions League for the 16th time.
Now Tiselj want to reinforce the squad to reach new heights.
Semis as the goal
In 2006 Krim were finalists for the last time, but lost against Viborg from Denmark. Since then, the Slovenians could not climb the ladder of success they had been on top of before.
In the new season – and mostly thanks to Tiselj’s comeback on the bench – it’s their aim to go for the semi-finals of the EHF Women’s Champions League.
Some changes in the squad
The squad has changed, top players like Serbian international pivot Dragana Cvijic (Podgorica) or Andrea Lekic (Györ) left Krim.
But by signing internationally experienced top players they even improved their squad: Danish Kristina Bille arrived from Aalborg, Andrea Seric from Zagreb, Gorica Acimovic from Viborg, Kristina Franic from Metz and Hungarian Ibolya Mehlmann from Veszprém.
Dujic new club director
Krim’s new club director Goran Dujic, who recently started his five years term in September, expects an attractive and successful season: "I was honoured when the Club Board trusted me with the five year contract period as a manager of the club.
I hope and believe that we will achieve our goals, which are to return among the best of Europe, where we have already been a couple of years ago."
Three important players missing
But Krim have to face some injury problems at the start of the season: Experienced Ukrainian Maryna Vergeliuk suffers from a knee injury, Maja Zrnec is recovering from shoulder problems and Barbara Varlec just had her first baby.
Main Round as goal
In the Group Stage Krim will face the defending champions from Larvik, their well-known Croatian neighbours from Koprivnica and three times CL winners Viborg HK, winners of their Qualification Tournament.
But as the hopes are high, it is the first objective to proceed to the Main Round.
Captain with confidence
Russian World Champion and Krim team captain Liudmila Bodnieva is confident that the second stage will not mean the final destination: "We are well aware that every year there are new clubs willing to achieve good results in the EHF Women’s Champions League.
We know that we have a tough group, but we believe that we have a strong team which can achieve a lot."
Three questions to coach Tone Tiselj
ehfCL.com: What are your expectations for the upcoming season of the EHF Women’s Champions League – concerning your objectives and your group opponents?
Tone Tiselj: There were significant changes made to our team on all fields, but nevertheless we expect to be able to achieve good results.
We have a tough group with the actual defending champions and two more former winners of the EHF Women’s Champions League.
ehfCL.com: What does the participation in the EHF Women’s Champions League mean to you and your club?
Tone Tiselj: Due to the fact that our national championship is not on a very high level, we estimate the EHF Champions League our primary objective in every season.
For me as a coach it will be a big challenge to achieve a good result among so many great teams.
ehfCL.com: What teams are your personal favourites for winning the title this season – and why?
Tone Tiselj: In the EHF Women’s Champions League I believe that the favourites for winning the title are those clubs that have the best financial and organizational back ground.
Especially those that did not suffer of any big changes in the last couple of years like Györ, Budućnost, Vâlcea and Larvik.
Club facts – RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Newcomers: Kristina Bille (Aalborg/DEN), Andrea Šerić (Lokomotiva Zagreb/CRO), Gorica Ačimović (Viborg/DEN), Kristina Franić (Metz/FRA), Ibolya Mehlmann (Veszprem/HUN)
Left the club: Andrea Lekić (Györ/HUN), Dragana Cvijić (Budućnost/MNE), Ariane Geissmann (TV Nellingen/GER), Szandra Zacsik (FTC/HUN)
Coach: Tone Tiselj, since 1 August 2011, before: Marta Bon.
Qualification for the 2011/2012 EHF Women’s Champions League season: Slovenian champions
EHF Women’s Champions League records:
Participations (including 2011/2012 season): 17
Winner: 2000/01, 2002/03
Finalist: 1998/99, 2003/04, 2005/06
Quarter-finals: 1995/96, 1996/97, 1997/98, 2004/05, 2006/07
Main Round: 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11
Group Phase/Champions League: 1999/00
Slovenian champion: 1994/1995, 1995/1996, 1996/1997, 1997/1998, 1998/1999, 1999/2000, 2000/2001, 2001/2002, 2002/2003, 2003/2004, 2004/2005, 2005/2006, 2007/2008, 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011
Slovenian Cup winner: 1992/1993, 1993/1994, 1994/1995, 1995/1996, 1996/1997, 1998/1999, 1999/2000, 200/2001, 2001/2002, 2002/2003, 2003/2004, 2004/2005, 2005/2006, 2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011
Further information
Find more information on RK Krim Mercator HERE.
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TEXT:
Björn Pazen